Turkey to implement its own emissions trading scheme

Shipowners looking to Europe’s eastern edge to skirt around new environmental regulations will have to look elsewhere.

Turkish politicians are pressing ahead with their own emissions trading scheme (ETS) for shipping which will align largely with the European Union’s own recently introduced ETS. The policy now awaits ratification from the country’s president.

Turkish ports – along with counterparts in North Africa – have seen a leap in traffic this year as shipping lines have sought to use the nation as a location to ease the burden of the new EU ETS.

The EU ETS is route-based to cover 100% of CO2 emissions from ships making voyages between ports of call under the jurisdiction of EU member states and while they are at berth or manoeuvring within ports in EU states. From 2026 methane and nitrous oxide emissions will be added.

The scheme also applies to 50% of emissions from ships performing voyages from an EU member state port of call to a port of call outside its jurisdiction and vice versa.